Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/548

 VITALIS

486

VITELLIUS

1556), and "Tractatus, qui casus respirat speciale mandatum" (Zurich, 1584).

Von Schdlte, Gesch. der Quellen u. Literatur des canonisch. Rechls, II (Stuttgart. 1877), 255 .sq.; Tiraboschi, Storia della let- teratuTa italiana, V (Florence, 1807), 2, 388.

Patricius Schlager.

Vitalis, Saint, martyr. His legend, which is of little historical value, relates that he was martyred by order of a judge named Paulinus for having en- couraged St. ilrsicinus, who was wavering at the prospect of death, and for having given burial to his remains. St. Vitahs was racked and then buried alive. He was the husband of St. Valeria who was martyred at Milan, and father of the more famous Sts. Gervasius and Protasius. The feast of St. Vitalis occurs on 28 April, but the date of his martyr- dom is uncertain. The legend makes him a victim of the Neronian pensecutions, but Baronius gives the year 171 during the persecution of Marcus Aurelius. The question is discussed by Papebroch in the Bollandist "Acta" and by Tillemont in his "Mem- oires pour servir a I'histoire ecclesiastique". Pape- broch cites churches dedicated in honour of St. Vitalis at Rome, Faenza, Rimini, Como, Ferrara, Venice, Verona, and at Jadera in Dalmatia, but the most famous church bearing his name is the octagonal San Vitale at Ravenna, the place of his martjTdom, built in the years 541-46 and dedicated as an inscrip- tion attests in 547. This church, which was origi- nally constructed by Julius v^gentarius and restored by Ricci in 1898-1900, is one of the most magnificent works of Bvzantine architecture and mosaic.

AHa SS. April, III, 562; Diet. Christ. Biog., IV, 463: SuRlus, Vilcc SS., IV, 334; Gu^rin, Pelils Bollandisles. V, 62; Serra- TRicE, Brevi Cenni suUa vita e sut cutlo di S. Vitale Martire (Mon- dovi, 1899).

R.4YMUND Webster.

Vitalis, Ordericus. See Ordeeicus Vitalis.

Vitalis and Agricola, Saints, martyred at Bologna about 304 during Diocletian's persecution. Agricola, who was beloved for his gentleness, con- verted his slave, Vitalis, to Christianity; they became deeply attached to each other. Vitalis was the first to suffer martyrdom, being executed in the amphi- theatre. By his tortures and by flattery the per- secutors sought in vain to win over Agricola, whom they finally crucified. Both martyrs were buried in the Jewish graveyard. In 393 St. Ambrose and Bi.shop Eusebius of Bologna transferred the remains of the martyrs to a church. Ambrose took some of the blood, of the cross, and of the nails to Florence, placing these relics in the church erected by the saintly widow Juliana. On this occasion he delivered an ora- tion in praise of virginity, with special reference to the three virgin daughters of Juliana. His mention of the martyrs Agricola and Vitalis in the first part of the oration is the only authority for their fives ("De exhortatione virginitatis", cc. i-u, in P. L., XVI, 335). The feast of the two martyrs is observed on 4 November. In 396 other relics were sent to St. Victricius, Bishop of Rouen, and, about the same date, to St. Paulinus of Nola and others.

Acta SS., Nov., II, 233-53; Ruinart, Acta martyrum (Ratis- bon, 1869), 491-94,

Gabriel Meier.

Vitalis of Savigny, Saint, founder of the mon- astery and ('ongregalion of Savigny (1112), b. at Tierceville near Baycux atinut 1 060-5 ; d. at Savigny, 16 Sept., 1122. His parents were n:im('(l Uainfrcd and Rohais. We know nothing of his early years; after ordination he became chai)lrtin (o the Conqucmr's brother, Robert of Mortain (d. 1100). \'il:ilis g:iiii((l the respect and confidence of Robert, who bistowtd upon him a canonrv in the Church of Saint Kvroult at Mortain, wlii<'ir he had foundi-d in 1082. But Vitalis felt within him a desire for a more perfect State of life. Ho gave up his canonry in 1095,

MoRTr.ARY

XII Ce.ntury, of France

settled at Dompierre, 19 miles east of Mortain, and became one of the leaders of the hermit colony of the forest of Craon (see Robert of Arbris- sel). Here for seventeen years he lived an ascetical life. At the same time he concerned himself, like Rob- ert of Arbrisscl, with the salvation of the surrounding population, giving practical help to the outcasts who gathered round him. He was a great preacher, re- markable for zeal, insensible to fa- tigue, and fear- lessly outspoken; he is said to have attempted to reconcile Henry I of England with his brother, Robert Curthose. He seems to have visited England and a considerable part of western France, but Normandy was the chief scene of his labours. Be- tween 1 105 and 1 120 he founded a nunnery at Mortain, with his sister St. Adeline as abbess. (See Savigny.)

Walter, Ersten Wanderprediger Franhreiehs, II (Leipzig, 1906), ii; Acvrv, Hist, de la congreg. de Savigny. I (Caen, 1896); Vitce bb. Vitalis el Gaufridi, ed. Sauvage in Anal, boltand., I (Brussels, 1882), 355-410.

Raymund Webster.

Vitelleschi, Mnzio, b. at Rome 2 Dec, 1563; d. there 9 Feb., 1645. He belonged to a distinguished family but notwithstanding brilliant prospects he entered the Society of Jesus 15 August, 1583, and after completing his studies in the order was made a professor. In 1593 he was appointed rector of the Engfish College which had been established in 1579 by Gregory XIII. At later dates he was made provincial of the society for Rome and Naples, assistant of the Jesuit general for Italy, and finally was elected General of the Society on 15 November, 1615, by the seventh general congregation. The society during his generalate attained a high degree of i)rosperity. The missions were extended to Thibet, Tonking, and to the Maraiion, and the Engfish mission was raised to an independent province. The only difficulties encountered by his administra- tion were in France, where finally, on account of Richelieu, he forbade his subordinates to speak or write of the supremacy of the pope. In 1617 and 1619 he issued regulations concerning the doctrine of Probabilism in two general letters addressed to the superiors of the society. Some of his letters and general epistles have been edited by de Prat, "Recherches historiques", V (Lyons, 1878), 360 sq.

De Backer, Biblioth^que des ecrivains de la Compagnie de Jisus, cd. SOMMERVOGEL, VIII (Brusscls, 189S), 848.

P.4TRICIUS Schlager.

Vitellius, Lticius, proclaimed Roman Emperor by the soldiers at Cologne during the civil war of A. D. 69; d. at Rome, 21 Dec, 69. The Emperor Galba had placed Vitellius at the head of the army of the Lower Rhine, because he considered Vitellius, who lived only for the pleasures of the tabl(>, in<-apable of conspiring. .After Galba's death, when Olho ])rove(l incap.abic of maint:iiiiing his position, thi- .^ioldiers of Lower (Jer- niany procl:iiineii \'ilellius :is C;i's;>r, while the adjoin- ing provinces :l1so :ii'kiuiwledged liiiii. The two vigor- ous legates, .\lieniis(':i'ciii;i and l'';il)ius Valens, led Ihe armies of the Upper ami Lower Hhine towards Italy, the troops robbing and plundering the provinces through which they marched. Olho transferred to his generals the command of the imperial army then being